Clamp for garment hem marker



June 30, 1959 H. G. BOOTH CLAMP FOR GARMENT HEM MARKER Filed Dec. 22, 1953 ATTO NEYS United States Patent 2,892,233 CLAMP FOR GARMENT HEM MARKER Herbert G. Booth, Harrison, N.Y., assignor to David Traum Company, Incorporated, a corporation of New York Application December 22, 1953, Serial No. 399,697

4 Claims. (Cl. 24-448) This invention relates to clamps, and more particular- 1y to a clamp for a garment hem marker.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a clamp for a garment hem marker, which clamp may readily be released with but a simple manipulation and with a minimum of efiort and without the need for turning wing nuts, screws or the use of any tools, to permit the garment hem marker to be moved to a desired position along a measuring ruler and as readily locked securely to retain the hem marker in desired position without likelihood of sliding, which clamp has but a few parts which may readily be fabricated at low cost and are not likely to become deranged.

According to the invention, these objects are accomplished by the arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter described and particularly recited in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings inwhich are shown one or more of various possible embodiments ofthe several features of the invention,

Fig. 1, is a perspective view of a garment hem marker having the clamp associated therewith,

Fig. la is a perspective iew of the cam rod,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rear of the hem marker showing the clamp portion thereof,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View taken along line 33 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a side elevational View partly in cross section ofanother embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, the garment hem marker assembly with which the clamp is incorporated is essentially of the type shown and described in Patent No. 2,509,126, dated May 23, 1950, and such hem marker will be described only to the extent necessary for a clear understanding of the invention.

The garment hem marker assembly shown in Fig. 1 comprises 'a marking device slidably mounted on an upright graduated bar 11, desirably a yard stick, rectangular in cross section, of width greater than itsthickness and havingappropriate markings thereon, a base (not shown) supporting saidbar in upright position.

The marking device 10, which is desirably a single sheet metal stamping, comprises a slide member 12havii1g a cross piece 13 of channel conformation at the lower end thereof with its rearwardly bent lateral flanges 14 straddling yardstick 11 which serves as a track along which member 12 may be moved to any position of adjustment. Slide member 12 is provided with a clamping jaw 15, preferably integral therewith and extending longitudinally upward from the cross piece 13. The jaw which preferably has a convex face and is narrower than the yardstick, is several inches long and is provided with a plurality of spaced transverse depressions 16 across its convex face spaced along the length thereof. The lower end of crosspiece 13 has a pair of fingers 17 struck out therefrom and transversely aligned thereon by means of which a clamp arm 18 is pivotally connected to the slidable member 12. Preferably, said arm has a concave 2 ndersurface along the major part or he length thereof with lateral flanges 19, which lie in the plane parallel to rectangular end 21 and forms a clamping J'wwhichis complementary to and coacts with the conveXity'of the clamping jaw 15 to clamp an interposed skirt fabric against the convex face of th latter. I I

Pairs of transversely aligned notches 22 are provided in the lateral flanges 19 of the clamping jaw Qtiftidnbf arm 18 as well as in the side edges thereof, the notches being so positioned that whenthe' arm 18 is moved to closed position against jaw 15 in the mariner hereinafter described, a pair of notches arm 18 will register with each transverse depression in jaw 15 to fomi a transverse passageway throughwhich pins" rriay' lie-passed in the manner clearly described in above-identified patent to mark a hem line on the garment. p v

According to the invention, inorder to retain the slide member 12 in any desired position of adjustment on bar 11, rearwardly extending transversely aligned ears 25 and 26 are provided, preferably formed, integral with lateral flanges 14 near the lower ends of the latter and lyingv in the same plane therewith.

Ears 25 and 26 are provided with aligned openings 27 and 28 therethrough respectively, the ear 25f desirably being provided with a larger opening 29 adjacent the root end 30' thereof and in communication with opening 27. I I p H H Positioned between; cars 25, 26 is a cam rod 31 preferably cylindrical, which has a stud 3 0, 32' eiitending tori-gr tudinally therefrom at each end, the studs being offset with respect to the axis of rod 31 'sothat when they are positioned in the respective openings 27 and 2 8 and the rod 31 rotated, an; eccentric motion will; be imparted thereto so that the rod 31 functions as a cam. I p

Although the rod may be rotated in any suitable manner, in the illustrative embodiment the stud 30 is elongated and is bent at its outer end to define a handle portion 33.

The rod 31 when rotated serves to actuate a spring member 35 which, when tensed, will securely retain the slide member 12 in locked position along the bar, As shown in Figs; 2 and 3, the spring member 35 desirably is a normally curved leaf spring positioned between the ears 25 and 26 so that the curved ends 36 of the leaf spring may rest against the rear surface of bar 11. are truding outwardly from the convex surface of the leaf spring are two' spaced centrally located tongues desirably stamped out therefrom which straddle the rod 31, the latter resting at' its ends against such convex surface.

To assemble the hem marker, with the leaf spring 35 positioned between ears 25 and 26,- the rod 31 sparse-a through the enlarged opening 29 in ear 25 and thest ud's 30 and 32 are positioned in openings 27 and 28 respectively with the rod 31 straddled bytongue's' 37.

With the rod 31 rotated degrees from the locked position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 so that the leaf spring 35 will be substantially unstressed, the bar 11 is positioned between the cross piece 13 of slide member 12 and the curved ends 36 of the leaf spring.

To use the device, with the clamp in unlocked position, the slide member 12 is moved along the bar 11 so that a transverse depression 16 preferably the uppermost depression, is aligned with a scale marking on bar 11 indicating the number of inches it is desired that the bottom of the skirt be spaced from the floor.

The slide member 12 is then locked in the desired position on the bar by rotating rod 31 by means of handle 33 to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3. As the curved ends 36 of the leaf spring 35 are normally against the rear surface of the bar 11, such movement of rod 31 will cause the central portion of the leaf spring to be cammed inwardly toward the bar. As a result, the curved ends 36 will be spread apart and will press against the rear surface of the bar by reason of the tensing of the leaf spring, thereby exerting sufiicient frictional force to prevent movement of the slide member 12 therealong.

After the slide member has been set to the desired position along the bar, the wearer of the skirt stands adjacent the upright device with the bottom of the skirt positioned between the open clamping jaws 15, 18.

The jaw 18 is then moved to closed position, clamping the skirt therebetween and a pin is then inserted through the passageway formed by notch 22 and the associated depression 16, the pin readily passing through the fabric clamped between the jaws 15, 18.

This procedure is repeated at intervals along the circumference of the skirt to provide a uniform row along which the hem can be folded.

To release the clamp for resetting of the slide member 12 along the bar 11, the handle 33 is merely moved upwardly to rotate the rod 31 approximately 180 degrees from the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

As a result, the pressure against the leaf spring will be relieved so that the ends 36 of the latter will no longer press against the bar thereby enabling the slide member to be readily moved to another position.

In the embodiment of the clamp, shown in Fig. 4, parts corresponding to those in Figs. 1 to 3 have the same reference numerals primed.

In this embodiment the cylindrical rod 31' is positioned in such manner that it will coaet directly with the rear surface of the bar 11' to retain the slide member 12' in place. Thus, when the high point 41 of the eccentrically mounted rod 31 is in the position shown in Fig. 4, it will securely wedge against the rear surface of the bar to prevent movement of the slide member 12 therealong. To release the clamp it is merely necessary to rotate the rod 31' by means of the handle 33', approximately 180 degrees in a counter-clockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 4.

With the clamps above described, which are extremely compact and hence will not interfere with the proper marking of the garment, the slide member may readily be locked in any desired position with but a simple maniplation requiring the use of only one hand and without the need of twisting of wing nuts, the use of any tools or the like.

As many changes could be made in the above structure, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter con tained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A device of the character described for installation upon a bar rectangular in cross-section, said device comprising a channel shaped slide member having a cross 4 piece adapted to rest against one face of said bar and having rearwardly extending sides adapted to straddle the longitudinal edge of said bar, each of said sides having an ear in the plane thereof, a cam extending transversely between said ears, a handle to rotate said cam, an independent leaf spring positioned between the cam and the rear surface of the bar, with the free ends of said leaf spring engaging such rear surface, said leaf spring being curved and having its convex surface positioned adjacent said cam, whereby upon rotation of said cam, said leaf spring will be tensed to urge both of the ends thereof against such rear surface to lock the slide member in position on said bar.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 in which said leaf spring has a pair of struck-out tongues at the central portion thereof straddling the cam to prevent longitudinal displacement of said leaf spring along the bar as said cam is rotated.

3. The combination recited in claim 1 in which said leaf spring has a pair of struck-out tongues at the central portion thereof straddling the cam to prevent longitudinal displacement of said leaf spring along the bar as said cam is rotated and the ends of said leaf spring engaging the bar are curved outwardly therefrom for ready movement of such ends along the latter.

4. A device of the character described for installation upon a bar rectangular in cross-section, said device comprising a channel shaped slide member having a cross piece adapted to rest against one face of said bar and having rearwardly extending sides adapted to straddle the longitudinal edge of said bar, each of said sides having an ear in the plane thereof, a cam extending transversely between said ears, said cam comprising a rod having a stud at each end displaced from the axis of said rod, each of said ears having an opening through which said studs extend respectively, one of said ears having an additional opening of dimension greater than the cross sectional dimension of said rod to permit passage of the latter therethrough, said additional opening being in communication with the other opening in the same ear, a handle operatively connected to one of said studs to rotate the rod, an independent leaf spring positioned between the rod and the rear surface of the bar, with the free ends of said leaf spring engaging such rear surface, said leaf spring being curved and having its convex surface positioned adjacent said rod whereby upon rotation of said rod said leaf spring will be tensed to urge both of the ends thereof against such rear surface to lock the slide member in position on said bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

